Machine for making leather loops



(No Model.)

' P. J. BRINGHAM. v MACHINE FOR MAKING LEATHER LOOPS.

Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

Ind Brita:

AP/C /5z2 UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEND J. BRINGHAM, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE 'SEAMLESS LEATHER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FORMAKING LEATHER LOOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 534,465, dated February 19, 1895.

Application filed August 1 1893; Serial No. 482,101. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FRIEND J. BRINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San'Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Leather Loops, 850.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for making endless leather loops and more particularly to the loops described in my Patent No. 500,111, granted June 27, 1893.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine, or machines, which shall, first, form .a blank by slittinga piece of leather edgewise and cutting it off near the ends of the slit so as to form a slitted endless blank to be afterward finished and completed into a perfect loop; secondly, to provide a machine which will take a long strip of leather, and, as it is fed into the machine will slit it edgewise and cut it off successively into proper lengths to be afterward completed to form the finished loop.

Such amachine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is aside elevation; Fig. 2,a front view; Fig. 3, a half section inperspective of the male finishing die; Fig. 4, a like View of the female finishing die; Fig. 5, a separate view of the blank for a loop before finishing; Fig. 6, a view of a completed loop. Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the spring attached to the movable jaw of the machine.

The machine shown in the drawings is provided with interchangeable mechanism for making and for finishing the loops. It should be understood however that the making and finishing of the loops although they form parts of one complete process, may be done on separate machines; and also, that separate machines may be used for making and finishing different sizes and styles of loops, and also that one machine may be provided with adjustable or interchangeable mechanism for making all sizes and styles of loops.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a table which supports the operative parts of the machine.

B, is a standard on the table in the upper endv of which is pivoted the beam C, from which a connecting rod D, extends to the treadle K. In a slot 1, of the beam is hung a rod E, which works vertically in guides 2, forming part of the standard B. Below the guides and removably secured to the rod E, by a set screw 3, is a cutterhead 4, in which is set the central dividing knife blade F, and the cutting knives 5 and 6, one upon each side of and at right angles to the blade F. The knives derivea simultaneousvertical reciprocation from the movementof the treadle and its connections. The distance between the knives 5, and 6, is the length of the loop (Fig. 6) before finishing, and the knife F, projects alittle below them as shown. These three blades acting together, divide the leather edgewi'se, and at the same time out it off near the ends of the division, so as to form the unfinished loop blank shown in Fig. 6.

i The leather, whether a continuous strip or a single piece, is held during the operation of dividing and cutting, by mechanism upon the table, best illustrated in Fig. 2. A removable throat plate 7, is dovetailed into the table and (dotted lines, Fig. 2). An adjustable jaw 8, the base 9, of which moves in guides 10, (Fig. l) is moved by a nut 11, on the screw shank 12, which works in standards 13, on the table. This jaw is intended to be adjusted toward or from the throat plate according to the thickness of the leather. A movable jaw 14, slides in similar guides upon the table at the opposite side of the throat plate, the shank 15 of which is surrounded by a spring 16, which tends to keep it constantly away from the throat plate. This rod is actuated by a pivoted bell crank 17, connected to the treadle lever by a connecting rod 18, at a point. which is slotted to permit the passage of each knife will give the limited movement required.

The downward motion of the treadle will thus depress the knives and at the same time move the jaw 14, inward against the pressure of the spring. The operator now feeds the leather, edge up, over the throat plate and depresses the treadle. Before the knives have reached the leather, it is clamped between the jaws, and firmly held on the throat plate until the treadle is released. The center knife divides the leather edgewise While the side knives cut too it off near the ends of the division. A strip of leather may thus be very rapidly cut into unfinished loop blanks (Fig. 5) each blank as it is separated, being pushed out of the way by the end of the strip following it. Small leather scraps are, of course, fed in separately.

Vith such a machine as is here described to illustrate the process, the work of making the unfinished loops will be continued until a sufiicient number have been produced ready for finishing; and then, by the use of the interchangeable finishing mechanism,the whole quantity of loops will be successively finished. To accomplish this,with this machine,the cutter head and knives, the jaws, and the throat plate are all removed, and the compressing and finishing dies H, I, substituted for them; i

Fig. 4, represents a female die II, having a base formed so as to dovetail into. the plaoe before occupied by the throat plate. The interior shape of this die is that of a completed loop, so that the insertion of the unfinished loop within it will cause it to open out slightly.

In place of the cutter headis secured to the rod E the male die I, (Fig. 3). The depression of the treadle now brings down the die I, and the blank is fully opened out and compressed into the shape shown in Fig. 6, which represents an endless and seamless leather loop, ready for attachment as a billet loop, or box loop, or slide loop, as the case may be, and of superior strength and durability to the stitched loop now in use.

It is better to secure to the jaw 14,21; spring 1 20, such as that shown in Fig; 7, which bears upon the leather and holds it before the two jaws cometogethenand is foroedback against the jaw or into a recess formed in it when: the two jaws are closed.

The machine shown in thedrawings iscapable of modification to some extent. For instance, duplicate knives can be used operating toward one another. The knives can move horizontally instead of vertically; and of course power of any kind can be employed for operating the machine instead of the treadle shown. The loops produced by this method, can thus not only be made with great rapidity from leatherstrips, but can also be made from leather scraps and waste which are ordinarily useless; and, as the process is purely mechanical and the machinery for carrying it out automatic in action, the skilled labor now required for euttingout and sewing the loops can be dispensed with, while the loops are madefar more rapidly, and are of superior quality.

What I claim is- 1. A. machine. for making endless leather 1 loops com prisinga reciprocating crossihead, with means foroperating the same,aknife F for slitting: theleather, and arsecondtknitejarranged at right angleslto the first, knife and at avdistance therefrom tocutofii the; slitted 1 piece, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for making end-less;leather loops, a reciprocating head, a slitting knife carried thereby and a... trimming knife arranged at right angles thereto, a, distance therefrom and centrally oftheslitting knife wherebythe leathenissliit and? the slitted portion is out 0E leaving am uncut portion. be-

tween the slit, and: thelcutflendr 015 the leather, substantially as described; In testimony whereof: I haveiaffixed; my signature, in presenceofi two witnesses, this: 19th day of July, 1893.

i FRIEND J. BRINGHAM.

WVitnesses:

L. W. SEELY,

JOHN COFFEE. 

